COSTING STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION--A CASE STUDY. A PROGRESS REPORT.

SIEGEL, BARRY N.

THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON IS THE SUBJECT OF A PILOT UNIT COST STUDY IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE STUDY IS TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR A SET OF SOCIAL ACCOUNTS WHICH WILL FACILITATE INTELLIGENT ALLOCATION OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. DATA FOR THE STUDY WAS OBTAINED FROM THE FALL TERM UNIVERSITY RECORDS FOR 1964 AND 1966. FOUR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF COSTS ARE INVESTIGATED--(1) ALLOCATION OF COSTS BY TYPE OF STUDENT, (2) DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES AND BURDENS, (3) CHANGES IN COSTS OVER TIME, AND (4) RESOURCE ALLOCATION WITHIN A UNIVERSITY. FINDINGS INCLUDE--(1) THE AVERAGE COST PER COURSE TAKEN RISES WITH THE LEVEL OF STUDENT, (2) THERE IS GREAT VARIABILITY IN AVERAGE COST PER COURSE TAKEN BY TYPE OF STUDENT AT EACH LEVEL, (3) RELATIVE TO THEIR BURDEN, THE SCIENCES HAVE MORE AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES FEWER RESOURCES THAN THE AVERAGE OF ALL INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS, (4) THERE IS A LACK OF FLEXIBILITY OF RESOURCES IN A UNIVERSITY, (5) "SCALE EFFECTS,""MIX EFFECTS," AND "BUDGET EFFECTS" CAN EITHER INCREASE OR DECREASE COSTS OVER TIME, AND (6) REALLOCATION OF EXISTING STAFF HAS MANY RIGIDITIES WHICH NECESSITATE MORE OPTIMUM ALLOCATIONS OF NEW FACULTY MEMBERS. THIS PILOT STUDY IS OF LIMITED SCOPE. A MORE DISAGGREGATED STUDY WHICH COVERS MORE INSTITUTIONS AND EMPLOYS A MORE SOPHISTICATED CONCEPT OF COST IS RECOMMENDED. (HW)